ELECTRON CONFIGURATION

EDGAR F. CARIÑO
Science 9 Teacher
What is an electron configuration?
 The way in which electrons are
arranged in various orbitals around
the nuclei of atom.
 The distribution of electrons of an
atom or molecule in atomic or
molecular orbitals
 The arrangement of electrons in an
atom.
Cont. . .
 The electron configuration of an atom is a
shorthand method of writing the location of electrons
by sublevel.
 The sublevel is written followed by a superscript with
the number of electrons in the sublevel.
 If the 2p sublevel contains 2 electrons, it is written
2p2
PRINCIPAL QUANTUM NUMBER (n)
 It refers to the main energy level, or
shell, occupied by an electron.
 It is always a positive integer; that is

n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
PRINCIPAL QUANTUM NUMBER (n)
 The electron’s principal energy level is based on its
location around the nucleus.

 Electrons closer to the nucleus are at a lower

energy level and have lower energy than those
farther away from the nucleus
The principal energy levels or shells
may have one or more sublevels or
subshells.
Subshell Subshell No. of Maximum
Shape
Type Name Orbitals no. of e-
s Sharp Spherical 1 2
p Principal Dumbbell 3 6
d Diffuse Clover leaf 5 10
Ringed
f Fundamental dumbbell 7 14
g 9 18
s orbital (1) p orbital (3)
- spherical – dumb bell shaped

d orbital (5)
– clover leaf shaped

f orbital (7)
– ring dumb bell shaped
Atomic Orbitals
• Different atomic orbitals are denoted by letters. The
s orbitals are spherical, and p orbitals are dumbbell-
shaped.

 Four of the five d orbitals have the same shape but

different orientations in space.
Atomic Orbitals
 The numbers and kinds of atomic orbitals
depend on the energy sublevel.
Energy # of Letter of # of # of Total
Level, n sublevels sublevels orbitals per electrons in electrons in
sublevel each orbital energy
level
Atomic Orbitals
 The numbers and kinds of atomic orbitals
depend on the energy sublevel.
Energy # of Letter of # of # of Total
Level, n sublevels sublevels orbitals per electrons in electrons in
sublevel each orbital energy
level

1 1 s 1 2 2

s 1 2
2 2 8
p 3 6

s 1 2
3 3 p 3 6 18
d 5 10
s 1 2
4 p 3 6
4 32
d 5 10
f 7 14
Atomic Orbitals

 The number of electrons allowed in each of

the first four energy levels are shown here.
 A maximum of 2 electrons per orbital

Use this to find the # of

electrons in an energy
level 2n2
Electron Configurations and the Periodic Table

• The periodic table can be used as a guide for electron

configurations.
• The period number is the value of n.
• Groups 1A and 2A have the s-orbital filled.
• Groups 3A - 8A have the p-orbital filled.
• Groups 3B - 2B have the d-orbital filled.
• The lanthanides and actinides have the f-orbital
filled.
 1A group # = # valence (outside) e- 8A
1 2A 3A 4A 5A 6A 7A
2

Row 3 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 8B 8B 1B 2B
= 4
# shells
5
6
s d p
7

6
7 f
 Block Table

This shows the different blocks in the Periodic Table.

 It also shows in what order to write electron configurations
(1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p,
7s, 5f, 6d,7p)
spdf Notation

1s 1
group #
row #
# valence e-
shell #
possibilities are:
possibilities are 1-7
s: 1 or 2
7 rows
subshell p: 1-6
possibilities are d: 1-10
s, p, d, or f f: 1-14
4 subshells Total e- should equal
Atomic #
What element has an electron configuration of 1s1?
(1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f,
5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p, 6f, 7d, 7f )
 Writing Electron Configurations
 First, determine how many electrons are in the
atom. Iron has 26 electrons.
 Arrange the energy sublevels according to
increasing energy:
 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d …
 Fill each sublevel with electrons until you have
used all the electrons in the atom:
 Fe: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d 6
 The sum of the superscripts equals the atomic
number of iron (26)
Electron Configuration Practice

 Write a electron configuration for these

following elements.

Oxygen

Carbon

Neon
19
Electron Configuration Practice

 Write a electron configuration for these

following elements.

Magnesium

Chlorine

Sulfur
20